Blue Ivy steals Drake's thunder in case of mistaken identity
The Twittersphere erupted with speculation that Drake's new album cover features a portrait of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy; Drake says 'no,' the illustration is of him as a child.
Jay-Z and Beyonc茅 at the Capitol in Washington for the ceremonial swearing-in of Barack Obama during the 57th presidential inauguration. The couple named their daughter, born Jan. 7, 2012, Blue Ivy, Jan. 21, 2013.
AP Photo/Win McNamee, Pool, file
Single superstar Drake is getting a taste of what it鈥檚 like to be a family man by osmosis ever since fans, obsessed with Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z, decided Blue was Drake鈥檚 mini-doppelganger by comparing their baby pictures. Now Drake has a new album out with cover art of a child who looks like Blue. While he insists she鈥檚 is not the inspiration, as the album鈥檚 title says, once there was a child in the picture, 鈥淣othing Was The Same.鈥�
Poor Drake has learned that the baby blues of being eclipsed by a Hollywood child are not limited to the baby鈥檚 parents. While his new album doesn鈥檛 drop until聽September 24, the singer鈥檚聽fans were so wrapped up in Blue Ivy聽that the album is already launched in the wrong direction.
This little girl has given prophetic meaning to Beyonce鈥檚 musical roots since she truly is, like her famous mom鈥檚 former singing group of the same name, 鈥淒estiny鈥檚 Child.鈥� Blue is destined to alter the life courses of mega stars just by being born. I have never seen a third party, non-parent go down with the baby ship but Drake sure looks like he needs a life ring right about now because Blue Ivy has swamped him good and proper.聽
Most parents experience the transition from 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about me鈥� to it鈥檚 all about the baby. However Blue Ivy, who is a public obsession only rivaled by Britain鈥檚 new prince, has altered the trajectory of three stars: Beyonce, Jay-Z, and now Drake.聽
When people began asking if his cover art was 鈥渁n homage to Blue Ivy Carter鈥� Drake tried to correct the impression. The poor guy didn鈥檛 stand a chance against a baby-fueled rumor and gossip mill.
People, people please, Drake isn鈥檛 stalking the 鈥渞oyal鈥� Beyonce baby or courting her mama. He鈥檚 a typical, self-absorbed, pre-baby guy whose album cover is all about himself.聽
While Beyonce released new pictures of her baby, Drake released his album art early via Instagram so that he could explain the cover art by Kadir Nelson which features a baby facing Drake, both in profile.
The baby is a ringer for聽聽and fans blew up social media to ask why Blue was on the cover. It turns out the art is meant to represent Drake as a child and being in the Ivy League via his friendship with her parents had fans seeing Blue in everything any of them do.
According to published reports Drake says, 鈥淲hen you go to the store and see it, you鈥檒l see the full painting. When it鈥檚 positioned on the shelf, whatever store you go to, if they do it as I鈥檝e asked [laughs], you鈥檒l see the fact that it鈥檚 a child version of myself staring at myself now. Sometimes when I try and think back on this journey, it鈥檚 so hard to pinpoint all of these moments and it gets foggy. Even on past albums when I鈥檝e been trying to tell this story, I鈥檝e got there, but maybe not got there all the way. And what that album art is to me is, like, this is my most clean, concise thoughts from now, and my best recollection of then. That鈥檚 really what that cover鈥檚 about.鈥�
However, Drake just learned the hard parenting lesson before having any kids of his own, that no matter how famous, special and spotlit we may be, kids can turn us into backdrop in a New York minute.
It happens to average parents all the time as we go from weekend warriors to soccer moms and hockey dads driving minivans and eating leftover PB&J sandwiches instead of calorie counted slimming meals. So there is a bit of fun in seeing the famous, with all their money and perfection, cope with the reality that, 鈥淣othing was the same,鈥� in fact nothing will ever be the same again and now we鈥檙e not the one on the rise.
As parents we learn to celebrate their achievements even as we mourn that we are no longer the innocent, pure, 鈥渘ew鈥� people that our kids are at that moment. For Beyonce and Jay-Z that will come easier than for those in their famous circle, Like Drake, who are collateral damage in the war parenthood wages on us all.
If Drake wants to win he needs to stick to the old adage: never work with kids or animals. Even if the kid in question is just your own baby picture.